Meet the Londoners moving to the hot new regeneration zones

The postcodes may not be fashionable, but after huge investment some areas are on the rise. Charlotte Duck talks to people flocking to the capital’s developments

First-time buyers Victoria Wallace, 26, and her husband, Ryan Adair, 34, made the move to a regeneration area after the landlord they were renting from in Tower Bridge increased their rent by more than 50 per cent. They bought an art deco-style flat in Hayes Village, a development in Zone 5, which boasts high ceilings and light spaces.

"The community at Hayes is something we really didn't expect," they say. "We have such welcoming and friendly neighbours and I think it helps that the average buyer at this development is around a similar age - we even invited a few neighbours to our wedding!" The couple are part of a growing number of Londoners who are moving to the capital's regeneration zones, taking advantage of areas that don't have the cachet of other more central or fashionable postcodes, but have seen billions of pounds of investment and development.

Hayes has seen several major housing developments go up recently, including Hayes Village by Barratt, which is set in the old Nestle factory. Another is the former home of EMI records, now The Old Vinyl Factory, which includes The Venue by Weston Homes. Thanks to the Elizabeth line, the area has quick connections to central London and Heathrow.